Climate is Changing, Are We?

Posted by AsiaViews | Nov 13, 2017 | 0 |

New Straits Times

Nov 7, 2017

THE Saturday deluge in Penang is a signal that something is not right with the way we are treating the environment. This is not the only time we have been so warned.

Pendang in Kedah was similarly warned when a “mini-tornado” blew off rooftops in October 2014. Rare water-spouts had also been spotted in Kedah and Penang, giving a whole new meaning to the word “rare”.

Over the last 50 years or so, the sea temperatures have increased and climate experts say the rate is accelerating. This is not a phenomenon peculiar to Penang, but a global trend. The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa)’s statistics support this. Nasa’s data collected over 134 years show that all but one of the 16 hottest years have occurred since 2000. The hurricanes occur so frequently that weathermen are not able to name them fast enough.

If climate change deniers want proof, all they have to do is to see the pathetic state Antarctica is in today. Since 2002, the southernmost point of the earth has been losing about 134 billion metric tons of ice per year. Scientists warn that if we continue with our carbon footprint, sea levels could rise several meters in the next 50 to 150 years, swallowing several islands.

Why are we not taking heed of these signs? Climate change deniers may have put wool over our eyes, but there is ample evidence now.

Added to Nasa’s data is the authoritative voice of the US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, which went on record last year stating that it is now possible to confidently attribute certain weather events directly to climate change.

There is only one way we can decelerate climate change, and, that is, we must change the way we have been doing things. Development at the expense of the environment must be halted immediately. The state and federal authorities have the power and they must enforce it without fear or favor.

But, that still leaves a wide gap in the climate change equation, and, that is, us — the you and I. Like charity, arresting climate change begins at home. Lighting and air-conditioning account for almost half of home energy use, and this is where we need to start. There are some seven million households in Malaysia, and, if each household makes its home energy-efficient, there will be enormous savings in terms of ringgit and carbon footprint.

Our cars, too, are big carbon emitters. The less we use them the better. One study estimates that one car less can save three tons of CO2 emission per year. Multiply that by two cars per family (which is the safe national average), and you get pretty good savings of carbon footprint. Light Rail Transport and Mass Rapid Transport or electric-powered taxis are good alternatives. For the long-term though, we must build walkable smart cities and towns that require less-to-no driving.

For climate to stop changing, we need to start changing — the way we do things, that is.

(https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/leaders/2017/11/300198/climate-changing-are-we)

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

Climate is Changing, Are We?